Cure To Growing Older
by Art is a bang4979
Summary: Sakura is caught up in Sasuke's space-time jutsu and sent to the past. Where she meets a shy boy with a black future. She should kill him before he can cause the terror he will cause. Yet his heart is still virtuous. Perhaps she can save him from the dark
1. Games Of Cat and Mouse

**A.N: Okay this has been buzzing in my head for a few days and I wasn't really sure if I was acually going to write it. I hope you guys like it. Surprisingly unlike BMBB and Curse this romance will be a real romance. Again I know surprising because well we are talking about Orochimaru. I know some people will pull away from this fic just because it has Orochimaru but I sware you'll fall in love with him if you give it a chance. **

Bla: Sakura POV

_Bla: _Orochi POV

**This is just the prolog so yea it's kind of short. **

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Prolog: Games of Cat and Mouse

"I knew you where eavesdropping on our conversation," Sasuke said with a smug smirk "that's why I made the password long. The real Naruto would have never remembered the password."

"I see," said the grass ninja behind his straw hat. He wore his hair long around his long thin face eyes wide and brown. I shivered slightly looking at him. "So don't let your guard down. Looks like I can have more fun then I expected." Then he grossly licked the straw hat with an extremely long disgusting tongue.

'He's too creepy,' I thought inwardly shivering like a whipped dog but outwardly trying to look strong to impress Sasuke.

Slowly the grass ninja pulled out an Earth scroll from behind his back and chuckled before asking coyly. "You want this Scroll of Earth, don't you? Since you three have the Heaven Scroll." He paused for a moment narrowing his eyes a bit, but soon went back to what he was doing. The long tongue dripped from his lips and he raised the scroll over his face wrapping it up in his gross tongue and swallowing it whole like a snake. I wanted to scream! "Now let's begin," he said simply before licking his lips and probably touching his nose too. "Let's fight over the scrolls," he said pulling his bottom eye lid down to show a narrow cat like pupil. "By putting your lives on the line!"

I gasped and heard Sasuke gasp next to me. Suddenly all I saw was red, blood, and pain. I saw myself being killed over and over in different but just as horrible ways. Then at last a kunai being thrown and imbedding it's self into my brain. Death would be fast. It would be terrible.

The world slowly came back together but terror was all I felt and all I knew, as if it had been with me all my life. I heard Sasuke throw up next to me and I heard him call out my name but I was shivering. I didn't feel the tears running down my face nor the rattling of my body. All I could feel was fear as I looked straight at the grass ninja who was also looking back at me. I could read the look on his face… it was puzzlement.

As if somehow I did not belong to the seen taking place. Still I couldn't move however all I did was shack uncontrollably the flashes of my own death rigging in my mind. And still the ninja stared at me for a few moments longer though I did not want his evil gaze on me. Finally the dark eyes moved to Sasuke and a wide smile formed on his face.

"What are you going to do with that?" he said with such a soft velvet voice that it almost didn't seem sarcastic. I couldn't see what Sasuke was doing but it made the grass ninja step forward and pull two kunai. "Relax," he said with a false comfort "I'll end this in a flash. You won't even have time to suffer." Stopping he raised the two kunai over his head. "I wanted a little more fun, but…now I'm disappointed." He flicked his wrist and I saw the two knives zoom past me and I could smell blood.

Then suddenly the terror was gone and I found myself in a new place. I was in a tree now with Sasuke who was breathing hard and holding the handle of a kunai he had driven into his own thigh.

"Sasuke-kun," I whispered before gasping at his injury.

_I stared at the two kunai now embedded in the tree trunk. The boy had stabbed himself to get rid of the fear from my jutsu. Smart very smart. Before my feet was a small puddle of blood the only testament that showed he had inflicted the wound on himself. The boy was very interesting but the woman…or rather the girl was what had me puzzled at the moment. I couldn't understand how it was _she_ still alive or how she'd become only that of a child. How? _

_I knew it was her... the girl…she was the woman I remembered. Somehow it was her, she was alive, but how was it that she was only the age of twelve? And why hadn't she recognized my charka? The great Sakura I remembered had amazing charka control and feared nothing. Yet this youth became paralyzed with only one of my weakest jutsu. _

_Perhaps this was a daughter? Or even a grand daughter? I didn't even want the thought to enter my mind. Right now I have prey to hunt but the thought of who she could be eluded and vexed me. _

Sasuke pulled the kunai from his leg and my eyes widened as blood splattered from the wound and he dropped the knife with a soft clang.

"Sasuke-kun!" I said "are you alright?" He doesn't answer but claps a hand over my mouth and looks over his shoulder. I'd never seen Sasuke so stiffed out before and he looked kind of clueless. Suddenly something came from behind us and I heard a soft mocking hiss. I tried to call out but the hand muffled my warnings. Desperate I pushed Sasuke's hand to the side. "Sasuke! A snake!"

He pushed me away and jumped into the air as the giant boa strikes out. I hear Sasuke scream a curse and throws out shuriken attached together with wire. This wraps around the snake's neck and stabs into its flesh killing it. However there was no time for celebration because something was trying to bore its way out of the skin of the corpse.

"You can't let your guard down even for a second," said the velvet voice as the grass ninja pulled himself out of the snake. "Prey must always strain there minds and always be on the run." He pulled his head up those brown eyes round and crazed. His hair dripped with snake entrails and blood as did his clothing. "In the presents of a predator!" With the last words spat he lolled his tongue out and waved it as if tasting the very air.

Suddenly he lurched but rather then jump up his body lengthened and weaved its self around branches. He was fast and his body seemed to become longer and longer. Fast. To fast for my eyes to register and then his face was in front of me. His nose barely an inch away from mine. His eyes narrow from puzzlement and his lips in an unsatisfied scowl.

"However some snake pity mice I suppose," He tilted his head to the side "isn't that right Sakura-Chan?"


	2. Rolling Snake Eyes

**A.N: Okay yeah Deidara is in here but don't you get your underwear in a knot he's not staying for long. Yup I've redused Deidara to a plot device so sew me! Lolz. Okay I know the plot is kind of weird but bare with me things will be further explained in the next chapter. **

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Rolling Snake Eyes

The charka was pumping hard and powerfully in this area. The spot was so electric with energy that it almost made me feel ill. I jumped up into the tree branches to have a better look at what was going on. I tried to be silent but the seen before me was more then…disturbing.

There was a man laughing. He was an Akatsuki, the blond one that had defeated Gaara. And with him was Sasuke! I couldn't quiet hear what was going on but I could see the horror, the young Akatsuki's veins where becoming black spread through his body from the vicious mouth in his chest over his heart. His body was dissolving into pure charka energy in one tiny spot. It would be like a nuclear bomb if the energy where to split!

"Sasuke!" I screamed but I was too late. The sound drowned out my voice and the light was blinding. The explosion was intense and devoured everything, I was happy that the death was painless. I'd just vanish in the fire and concussive power of it. No, pain or suffering. Just blink and then I'll be gone.

Everything happened in milliseconds after that. I don't remember much after that because there was only blackness and the feeling of charka popping and stinging in the air. The blackness enveloped me and I was almost sad that this was all there was to the after life. Only black. And the hiss of charka.

"Are you alive?"I heard a faint voice that seemed miles away.

_Of course I'm not alive! _I screamed at the darkness but no sound can from where I thought my mouth might be. I wasn't even sure if I have a mouth. It being the after life and all.

I suddenly _felt _myself being poked though I know for a fact that my body had been disintegrated in the explosion. So why the hell was I feeling a poke? And who was poking me anyway?

"Are you hurt?" asked the voice. It was soft but male and had a tiny hiss in it's under tones. "Hmm this isn't getting me anywhere…" the voice murmured then fuzzed out and I felt myself being moved. I heard nothing more after that and soon I didn't really care about the odd movements though I knew I was dead and I knew it was strange that my nonexistent body was being moved. It didn't matter what the voice was trying to tell me, I was gone, just a memory and there was nothing the voice could do to make me think otherwise.

Pain made me open my eyes. It shot down my spine and through all four limbs and at this moment I felt more alive then ever before! I heard a horrible scream and it took me a while for me to realize it was me. When the cry of bloody murder was over I felt myself breathing hard. The air was damp and hot as if it was the middle of summer.

I heard someone shuffling and it made me open my eyes in slits. I was lying on my side and it took me a moment to realize that I was in fact naked! I was too weak however to sit up or even make a tiny squeak. I could tell I was on a forest floor thanks to the brown leaf covered ground and the trees that towered above me. They where leafy and lush and there arms where the dark grey purple of bark. I must have been outside Konoha.

Someone came into my rage of view and knelt down so we where face to face. My mind was fuzzy so I really couldn't tell gender at the moment plus the clothing _it _wore was weird and very old fashioned. Anyway the person wore his/her glossy black hair long and had a few strands falling over the powder white forehead. The eyes where sharp and a dull yellow and went well with the straight nose and small lips. I cringed slightly unsure why though somehow my body knew this person wasn't good.

"Hey are you alright?" said the small male voice from the thin mouth.

I didn't respond I wasn't sure I could. I only blinked at the boy.

I was so confused. Where were Sasuke and the Akatsuki? Why aren't I dead? Is Sasuke okay too? Why am I back at the Hidden Leaf? Who was this boy? Why do I get a disturbing vibe from him?

"You don't have to talk," the boy said "but if you can…" he seemed almost bashful when he said this "could you please put these clothes on?"

I blinked and my face became red as I sat up careful to cross my legs and try my best to cover my beasts up. The boy was looking away as he handed over to me a simple white and red kimono. Embarrassed I quick as possible got on the clothing well enough on so I was at lest descent, as I did I sent charka to the places on my body that had burns and slowly began to heal them. While I changed the strange boy said nothing his back to me.

"Okay…you can look now," I said as if it mattered…he'd already seen me naked. He turned back around and I studied him in udder shock. The eyes…I knew those eyes. The eye where a dull golden with cat-like slits for pupils and sharp purple markings over each narrow slit. "Orochimaru," I whispered paralyzed for a moment. No, he is dead! This can't be! Oh the highest he's seen me naked too!

The boy (Orochimaru) blinked at me with a bit of surprise. "How is it you know my name?"

"Oh um," I blinked and gaped like a fish. "A guess?"

"Pretty good guess," he said softly but suspicious "who are you and why where knocked out in the woods?"

_He sure is forthwith isn't he? _I thought to myself. "My name's Sakura," I said very fast "I was caught up in an explosion and um…somehow came to be here."

"That story is so unbelievable it has to be true," he said without emotion but cocked a bow high into his hairline "but I guess I've heard odder tales."

Studying him longer I saw that his face was a lot fuller then as I recall and he was several inches shorter. He wore a white kimono with a purple sash and black apostrophe looking dashes along the collar. The markings reminded me of Sasuke's curse mark and gave a tremor up my spine. I felt suddenly ill.

"Um are you alright?" he asked and I answered by falling on my knees and vomiting. "Uhh…Never mind."

_Minutes later_

"So um are you from Konoha?" Orochimaru asked when I felt better and had washed out my mouth with water he gave me from a canteen. I was grateful though still skittish knowing this was _Orochimaru_ who had somehow become much younger then I know him as.

I just nodded at his question.

"I've never seen you around before," he said looking at me interested with those deadly eyes.

"I guess we where never in the same class," I said warily and he pressed his thin black brows together.

"I guess so," he replied with a slight smile "good thing Jiraiya, my partner, didn't find you rather then me. He's such a womanizer." Was that a blush on his cheeks?

I gave a slight half smile. I'd hate to say it but he was pretty adorable and had a real boyish charm to him. Then a flash of the man I knew him as came to mind. A spineless traitor who tortured and ruled others with an iron fist, a man who is greedy selfish and full of lies. My face went cold as I began to hate the boy sitting in front of me.

He was one day going to ruin everything! He killed the 4th Hokage; brain washed Sasuke, and killed hundreds of people in his grotesque laboratories. He doesn't deserve to live, and finally I have the chance to change everything. I could kill Orochimaru right now, with him still young and defenseless…but it wasn't like I had any of my weapons with me anyway. They'd seemed to have burned off with my clothing in the explosion.

I narrowed my eyes but careful not to let my emotions leek out to much. I don't want my _prey _thinking I'm a threat not so early in the game at lest. That sentence was completely ironic but I didn't pay much mind to it. I was to busy hating Orochimaru.

"Well," Orochimaru said with a slight sigh "I was heading to go for a reconnaissance mission before I found you…um…I guess I could bring you back to the village."

"Where are you going?" I asked with perked interest.

"Land of Water," he said his eyes cast away.

"…Could I come with you?" I asked tilting my head slightly trying to catch his gold gaze. I realized that his eyes did not hold death in them, only shyness.

"Hmm I guess," he said scratching his head his left eye narrowed as he scratched the spot.

"How far are we from Konoha?" I asked looking around. The forest was lush and the tall oak trees over head pointed out that this was the Fire country; oaks lived no where else on earth.

"Um five miles or so," he replied "I could bring you back if you wanted." I shook my head and gave him a false reassuring smile.

"No, its okay I'll stick with you," I said "I don't want to be the one to stall your mission."

"If you say so," he said returning my smile with a shy curve up of his lips. "I guess it would be kind of hard to explain this whole situation anyway." I could see that he didn't like the thought of having me, an unknown, on his mission with him but just as I thought he would Orochimaru was too proud to turn back. "Are you hungry?" he asked and I blinked at the questions having been pulled from my thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"Food," he repeated with a sharp under tone that sounded like a hiss. I tilted my head at his reaction. After a second I nodded and he looked through a small leather pack that he'd been holding on his back. After a second of searching he came up with two rice balls one for himself and one for me. "My partner Tsunade-san made these," he said with his mouth half full. "She's a good cook."

I swallowed heard when he said my teacher's name. The thought of meeting Tsunade-sama being my age hit me like a ton of bricks and made my brain buzz with excitement. He didn't say anything more so we ate in silence.

As I ate the sticky rice ball I watched him move. In a lot of ways he was the Orochimaru I knew but in many more he was not. He was plight and a bit skittish it seems while the former ruler of the Sound village was a cowardly tyrant who enjoyed watching people suffer. I couldn't see how this boy could become so evil. Perhaps this was my chance to figure out what happened in this kid's life that stained his soul. The thought of fixing him suddenly became more of a priority then destroying him.

"So…" he said after a long moment of silence "what do you do?"

"_Do?_" I repeated because he'd taken me from my thoughts again. This seemed to annoy him.

"I _mean _what kind of ninjutsu you use?" he asked. "I'm mostly into my animal summon but I like to learn all kinds of jutsu really."

"Oh…I'm a medical ninja," I said taking the last bite of my meal. "I also have great charka control so I can break through walls and stuff."

"Oh?" Orochimaru's brows pressed together "Tsunade does the same thing."

"I'd have to meet her," I said quickly trying to cover up my mistake. I rubbed my hands together once I was done with the rice ball and we both got to our feet. I was bare foot on a count of my ninja shoes being vaporized and Orochimaru not having an extra pair but I didn't mind.

"I'll get you a pair when we get there," he said looking over his shoulder at me. "Don't worry either; you won't get hurt with me as your partner Sakura-san."

It was surprising how a kid with what seemed so little confidence could be so boastful. I was slightly annoyed with his bold proclamation that he could protect me.

_I think you should worry more about your self then me Orochimaru _I thought as we walked silently though the oak wood of the fifty five year younger Fire Country.

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**A.N: I love mini Orochi! He's to cute!**


	3. Mice Mourn the Future

**A.N: Okay this chapter gets into alot into Orochimaru's personality and it was slightly difficalt for me to have a bit of his 'Orochimaru-ness' without it being "MUH HA HA HA I'm EVIL!" So I overloaded him with shyness so pretty much he's a Hinata/Shino-type personality with a Orochimaru glazing. Kinda like a dounut. I can't believe I just compaired Orochimaru with a dounut. Um yea so awayways on with the chapter**

Mouse- **Sakura POV**

_Snake- _**Orochi POV**

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Mice Mourn the Future

Night fell a few hours later but I insisted we should keep walking through the twilight. We stopped once it was getting to dark to see and set up camp about five kilometers away from the boarder of Water. I could smell the salty ocean air though we where still far from the coast. The whole time_ he_ was quiet and I inwardly glared daggers at him. I hated him. For killing the Third Hokage for taking Sasuke away and for all the horrible things he did…will do.

We didn't talk I had given up asking questions nearly two hours ago. There was no point. He refused to answer any of my questions about the mission which made sense he still had practically no idea who I was. He didn't ask either however. It seemed as if I was just some extra he had to deal with. As if I were no threat to him or his mission whatever that may be. Perhaps I should try a different approach.

"Orochimaru-san," I asked and he looked up from a map he'd been studying the past few minutes. "What do you like to do on your spare time?"

He blinked at me unsure of how to answer as if no one had ever asked him a personal question no matter how innocent it may be. "Um well I don't get much time off I guess," he replied with an unsure look. "Nothing I guess."

"Oh," I blinked "really nothing at all? Don't you hang out with your friends or something?"

"They aren't my friends," he said his eyes glowing from under the shadows his long sharp bangs created over his face. "They don't like me and I don't like them," he said with such harshness that I could feel the dislike radiate off him. I was shocked by this for reasons unknown to me. Why was I surprised that he had no friends? He was Orochimaru after all. Who would make _friends_ with him? But all the same I was surprised.

"Really?" was all I could come up with.

"It doesn't matter," he snapped looking back down at the map. "All I care about is getting stronger anyway."

My eyes settled painfully on those words. I knew those words so vividly from the lips of the boy I use to love. I didn't even want to think that Sasuke was _anything_ like Orochimaru but as I saw they where quiet…similar. I shook my head at the despicable thought. No, Sasuke had friends. He had me and Naruto and everyone back in the present Konoha. I'm not sure how or why I was even in this time period but there was no time to freak out right now. I'll freak later when Orochimaru wasn't around.

I shrugged at his last comment and moved so I didn't have to face him sitting down on the sleeping mat he'd given me. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them. The kimono I wore was a boy's but I didn't mind. It didn't matter out here anyway in the border of Fire and Water. We where sheltered by the tall oaks that still grew here but as my eyes moved to the east I could see that they where becoming fewer and smaller in size. Soon we'd come to the ocean and soon Orochimaru would be dead.

But not tonight he's still wary of me and I'd never be able to move an inch from my mat without him ready for the defense. He needed to trust me more but I wasn't sure how to break his anti-social wall. Speaking of the mission hadn't work and neither had chatting about personal matters. I didn't see any way of getting the kid to open up a little more. This liquidation may not go as quickly as I'd planned.

"Sakura-san you hungry?" he asked in a meek voice as if he was sorry for snapping at me. I gave him a side long glance and shook my head.

"No," I said simply though I knew I really should eat after having been running all afternoon. "I'm just going to go to bed."

"Ah um okay if that's what you want," he said shuffling quietly as I going into my mat and rolled over so I didn't have to look at him. "I'll take first watch. I'll wake you in a few hours okay?"

"Sure," I said in a careless tone and yawned. I was surprised on how tiered I really was. I'd been hoping to plan a bit on the assignation itself but I'd fallen asleep already.

_**"However some snake pity mice I suppose," He tilted his head to the side "isn't that right Sakura-Chan?" **_

_**I was so scared I didn't know what to do but stare back at him with my fist at my breast. His limp hair was brushing my cheeks and his nose was close enough to touch my own. He looked at me for a long time before smiling. It was a genital smile if not a bit awkward as if he hadn't smiled like this in years and he'd forgotten how to. Never the less it looked kind. **_

_**"H-How do you know my name," I asked still terrified and slightly…flustered. I wasn't sure which emotion was stronger they both seemed to envelope me equally. **_

_**"You could say we know each other well my dear," he hissed softly. "You don't seem to remember me however."**_

_**"Why would I?" I asked wondering where before I'd seen this man. And why I'd even want to remember him. **_

_**"Because I-"**_

"Sakura-san," said a soft voice disrupting the dream and making me open my eyes. I saw the ebony sky and found I was still outside. _Gods I'd though this had been a dream too. _I thought mournfully as I looked over to where Orochimaru next to my side. His eyes startled me being the same eyes I'd been so close to in my dream though his face had been some one else's in my vision. "Ah oh I'm sorry did I scare you?" he asked must have read the look on my face though it was dark and he'd put the fire out a while ago.

"Oh no I'm okay," I said sitting up with a rueful smile "what time is it?"

"Midnight I suppose," He replied moving away from me a little and back to his mat "my eyes where beginning to droop so I thought it'd be good to wake you up."

"I see," I said with a better acted smile. "Well you should rest then." He nodded looking at me with his evil gold eyes. Those one day hateful eyes now only filled with wary gratefulness. How could such a terrible metamorphosis happen to such a shy boy I wouldn't know. Nor do I care because he was as good as dead anyway so it didn't matter what was going to happen in the future that will never come for Orochimaru.

He didn't fall asleep for a long time though he looked like he was sleeping. But his charka was flaring slightly around his body. The aura of him was too strong to be of that of someone asleep. But soon he calmed down enough to fall into a light sleep. I watched him sleep. He was for lack of a better word peaceful while he slept and I wondered if his beauty in rest would fade as he aged. I doubted it even a seventy year old can look forty years younger while asleep. At lest from what I've seen in the hospital. Sleep was ageless beauty.

_Why do I always get philosophical when I'm tiered? _I thought to myself with a humored smile. _I guess it's a good time to freak out now. _So I did freak out quietly wondering where Naruto was at the moment. Well technically he wasn't born but that's beside the point. Had Sasuke survived the explosion? I wanted to believe he was alive because I to was alive somehow and some-when but my ninja side silently hoped he was dead, because that way Naruto wouldn't have to worry about him and worry more about the Akatsuki.

Still even after thinking for a long time I wasn't satisfied with my freak out. I wanted to just scream and fall to the ground still whimpering. I just wanted my locked up emotions to blow out! I wanted Orochimaru to be dead so I could figure out how to get back to my own time. To a time where Sasuke was still home and all the evil Orochimaru caused never happened and all we have to deal with would be the Akatsuki. Why couldn't Sasuke just understand that he isn't the center of the universe?

Destroying that evil organization _would _be top priority if Sasuke didn't have to go after his brother. If Naruto hadn't promised me anything if I would have stopped Naruto from trying to keep his promise. We shouldn't care about him anymore he's an S-Rank Criminal but we are for some odd unknown reason giving him all this slack just because he was Naruto's B.F.F.

I was becoming so angry with everyone that I could feel the tears forming in my eyes and they drag down my cheeks. I rubbed my damp cheeks on the sleeve of the kimono and sighed softly. My chest hurt from my heart breaking thoughts. Well more like re-breaking because by now the only thing holding my heart together was Scotch tape and some rubber bands.

I sat there only thinking about home. My real home and my time. Not of this place that masqueraded as my world but I knew was completely different. I glared over at the sleeping form parallel from me. Completely utterly upside down this world was and some how I was going to have to figure it out while I also try to find out how to get home.

I hugged my legs hard. The rest of the night was very long leaving me with thoughts of my friends.

* * *

_Sometime during the early morning Sakura must have fallen asleep because when I woke up she was curled up in a ball on her mat. I raised a brow at her sleeping form. She looked so small like this and rather venerable in that position she looked like a little mouse. Her face half covered in her pink hair. I was mesmerized for a moment before I got my wits and shook the sleep from my mind. _

_I sat up and combed my hair out with my fingers. My eyes always moving back to the sleeping girl. If it had been Tsunade to fall asleep on guard duty I would have been annoyed maybe even angry but I couldn't feel…anything at the moment. I was not a stranger of this feeling of not feeling. It happened often to me indifference and a happening of just emotionless thought. _

_But this feeling of not feeling was different then usual. Sure this girl was a stranger and yes perhaps she is dangerous but I just did not care. For one reason or another I couldn't bring myself to not care about her well being. This feeling was not indifference but rather it was bliss. _

_Bliss…how odd. It was an unfeeling emotion but at the same time I could feel the positive energy moving through me. My body for some reason reacted happily to this girl whom I knew nothing of. _

_I found myself watching her forgetting that I was in the process of rolling up my sleeping mat. Shacking my head I finished up rolling it up and connecting it to my backpack. My brows where pressing unsurely together and I could feel the sting of awkwardness in my gut though I knew she hadn't been awake to see me watching her. I was glad for that too I knew what people thought when I watched them for to long. Like I was going to bite them if they moved an inch closer to me. I know how my eyes look and I know it's creepy. _

_I heard her sigh sleepily and I shivered the sound was nice and soft and played with my emotion of bliss. I looked over at her and saw that she was waking up and I smiled half way. Her green eyes blinked at me and she gave me a groggy smile in return. _

_"Morning," I said looking back at the pack that I was still to zip up. I stared at it for some reason having forgotten how to zip up the zipper. I felt useless and I didn't know what to do with myself. _

_"Morning," she said rubbing her eyes with the rise of her palm the kimono I'd given her was dripping off her shoulder a little and my stomach knotted. "I guess we keep moving to the Water Country today huh?" I nodded stiffly "Where are we going exactly?" _

_"Venice," I said getting to my feet "it's going to be a pretty easy mission and we get to stay in one of the most beautiful cities in all of the Water Country." _

_I could see the spark in her eyes a spark that said she was thinking about something other then the conversation. I could tell by the way her face would go into auto pilot as she thought on whatever had preoccupied her mind at the moment. I was wary of this fact, the fact of the unknown but I did not fear it. I didn't need to because I knew how to protect myself and how to kill. _

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**A.N: Anyway um about the whole Venice thing yes I mean Venice like Venice Italy. The Water county cities and towns will be named after Italian cities okay? Just roll with me on that. **


	4. The Salt Empire

**A.N: Still more character develepment. This chapter is a little angsty on Sakura's point of view but other then that I really enjoyed writting it. Um yea enjoy**

**Sakura- **Wind

**Orochimaru- **_Sea_

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The Salt Empire

"You've been to Venice before?" I asked as we walked through the tall grass that grew on unpopulated beaches. "I've only ever seen it in drawings," I said which was true because Venice was destroyed nearly thirty years ago the only thing left of it are paintings.

"Once when I was still a Genin," Orochimaru replied "my team was bringing a merchant safely back to his home and we passed through the city. The whole place is built right on the ocean you know."

"So I've heard," I said a little more loudly then my normal speaking voice because the ocean wind was so hard. "How do we get to Venice anyway? I don't see any ship yards," I yelled looking down the beach of endless white sand.

"We'll have to walk up this beach till we get to a spot closer to the Land of Water boarder then we can walk over the sea," he said his long black hair whipping around his face dancing effortlessly in the wind. His eyes small narrow slits so they wouldn't dry in the salty air. We walked silent for a long time or feet getting wet as the tide began to wash in. "You don't have to come you know…it might be dangerous."

"Ha!" I laughed humorlessly "Dangerous? You said this mission would be easy."

"It is," he replied "but Hidden Wave AMBU are always on patrol and we aren't seen as welcomed there. The Hidden Villages are very territorial and things have been getting worse."

"I know," I said with a long sigh "I think every shinobi knows that but some just don't like to think about it. I'm one of those ninja I guess." He watched me as I spoke and I was becoming unnerved because he'd kept staring at me even after I'd finished the last syllable. "What?"

"Hmm?" he asked as if he didn't know what I was talking about. How could he not know that he was freaking me out? I pressed my brows together annoyed. He blinked and looked away his head hung low so his bangs shadowed over his eyes. "Sorry…I know how my eyes look…I didn't me to…" he was tripping over his words and I could tell he was becoming frustrated with himself that he couldn't spit out a decent sentence.

I wanted to smirk mocking his weakness. I wanted to laugh at his self analytical behavior. I wanted everyone to know that the fearsome Orochimaru was just a shy little kid and couldn't get two words out of his mouth without looking awkward. I wanted to do all those horribly mean and childish things but I couldn't. I bit my lip hard enough to make it hurt badly as if punishing myself for being so mean.

"Hey don't worry about it," I said with an actual smile and the thought of helping Orochimaru rather then destroying him became more appealing once more.

"People say that I remind them of a predator when I stare at people," he sighed still looking to the ground "I'm sorry again…truly."

My smile became a grin. "Well don't girls usually like that?" I asked and he looked up with a skeptical glance. "Women love danger and excitement." I couldn't believe what I was saying and who I was saying this unbelievable words too. The world was completely flipped and no one seemed to notice. "That's why I'll go to Venice with you, because I'm a woman and women love adventure."

"Girls do like my looks actually," he said which caught me off guard but made me laugh. "But still I think they see me more as a shinobi who happens to look nice rather then want to get to know me. Fan girls are just really annoying but I don't like to be rude so I don't say anything to them."

My smile wavered but did not fall. "I hate to say it but I use to be one of those girls," I said still in a joking tone "I never really went out of my way to get to know the guy I liked. And then it was too late and he was gone and I still didn't know him even though I'd said I loved him." I had surprised myself that I'd said such personal things to the man…the boy I'd learn to hate. But for some odd reason Orochimaru was so easy to talk to.

"You're really not from the Hidden Leaf are you?" he asked but I wasn't surprised.

"Not the one you know of," I said.

"Far enough," he replied with a slight shrug and that ended that discussion.

_The beach was long and I knew by my map that it might take us another day to get to a peninsula but neither of us seemed to mind. I enjoyed talking with Sakura and she seemed to like talking with me too. _

_At around noon we headed higher up the beach to have a quick lunch and rest before starting up again. Sakura still didn't have pants and she felt awkward trying to sit down while the skirt of her kimono tried to fly up because of the harsh wind which hadn't let up all day. I could feet tiny cuts in my face being whipped in the face with my own hair. _

_We sat down in the tall grass which held us in a little bowl as we sat down and pressed the grass under us down. I shrugged off my bag and looked through it. I only had rice balls but I'd only packed enough for one not knowing before hand that I'd have company. Still we each ate one but from now on we'd have to spit them in half or we wouldn't have enough food before we got to the Land of Water. _

_"I'll get you some better fitting clothing when we get to the nearest town," I said and she smiled thankfully. She didn't seem like the kind of girl to run around in kimonos all day weather they where for males or not. We bit into our rice balls at the same time. The soft and sticky rice tasted of salt and I wasn't sure if it was because the rice ball was salty or that salt had begun to build up in my own mouth. Either or I knew it wasn't good and I hoped we had enough fresh water for the rest of our travels. _

_"How much longer do you think till we can start moving over water?" she asked making me snap up from my thoughts. "Sorry I startled you didn't I?" _

_"It's okay," I said with a smile before looking through my bag again for my map. I opened it and studied for a few seconds. "We still have a long way but if we keep moving up this beach we'll get there faster then if we where more inland. I'd say we still have till noon tomorrow before we get there if we rest the night." _

_Sakura seemed to think over what I had said before nodding. I knew she was planning something or at lest had been planning something and was now rethinking it. Once again I ignored this unknown because I liked having her around. I wanted to believe she liked me too. I wanted so badly for her to like me for what I am and not __**just **__because she thought I was handsome or not__** just**__ because I was a good ninja. That was secondary to her getting to know me and me getting to know her. _

_Sure she was pretty I had to say every bit of her was very pretty. I should know I saw her naked. But that didn't matter to me if she didn't have a nice mind and it seemed Sakura had that too because she was a good conversationalist and knew what she was talking about at all times. This girl was the whole package having the looks and the mind to get any man she wanted._

_How did my train of thought become so derailed? _

Orochimaru seemed deep in thought but I knew he wasn't thinking about the map which he'd been staring at blankly for the past minute. I took another bite of the salty rice ball. I really didn't know what I did to have made him open up so much. Yesterday he had been so locked away and today he was a social butterfly. Sorry for using such cliché terms it hurts me just as much as it hurts you.

"Orochimaru-san," I said and he looked up finally "do you think I could have a few minutes to myself?"

"Um sure," he said "I'll call you back when I'm ready to leave."

"Thanks," I said and smiled quickly before getting up and going down to the beach. Now that I'd unlocked his emotions perhaps I should let mine go too. So I did and slumped down in the sand the water lapping my leg. I tilted back my head up and closed my eyes to protect them from the beating sun. And I screamed.

From our resting spot I could feel Orochimaru's snakelike eyes on me probably wondering what was wrong with me. Yet he didn't come over and I was thankful for that because I needed this time for self pity.

I screamed again and again into the wind until my throat was sore and scratched with salt. It felt so good to just let myself go.

I thought about everyone as I screamed. I thought about my crazy mixed emotions I had for Sasuke and about how much I missed Naruto and even Sai. Though it had only been a day and a half I'd been away from them it felt like decades. I missed Konoha my Konoha and I missed the smell of ramen that fallowed Naruto where ever he went. Naruto I think I miss him the most.

I thought about the boy behind me and I mourned for him too because he had no friends and he had no future and he had been so kind to me this whole time but I still hate him with a deep passion. I hate him for no reason too other then the fact that one day he will lose himself his real self and he will become something that isn't him.

Tears burned down my face. More salt to add to this place. A kingdom made only from salt and ruled by the hundreds of thousands of grains of salt. Millions of pounds that mix with the water making it undrinkable. Hundreds of yards of salt that makes up this beach. The salty tears made my cheek raw but I didn't care it felt good to cry.

It felt like forever before I felt Orochimaru's hand on my shoulder. I wanted to shiver the recoil but I didn't. I just looked up and him and into those golden fire lit eyes. Those damn eyes that made me keep hating him even though he was going out of his way to take care of me.

"Are you alright?" he asked though I was clearly not alright. But for modesty's sake he asked me anyway just because he wanted to be kind.

"I'll be okay," I said hoarsely "but I don't think I'll be able to talk with you for a little while."

"I don't mind silence," he said and handed me a canteen of water. I accepted the offering and he sat down in the sand beside me. In silence.

The silence was calm and warm even though the load cold wind was hitting us square in the face. I drank from the canteen. The water was stagnate and tasted metallic but it eased my sore throat. I was grateful someone had found me in the woods because if he hadn't I'd still be there naked and lonely. I would have probably gone to Konoha hoping my friends would help me to the hospital thinking I was still in my world.

I was so thankful that it was Orochimaru who found me rather then Jiraiya though he was a good guy I knew he wouldn't have helped my situation. I couldn't believe I was so happy to have Orochimaru being around even though at the same time I hated him with every cell in my being. Every inch hated just as much as they liked him.

It was so hard for me to tell the difference between the Orochimaru that was my enemy and the Orochimaru that was my friend. It was like I was blind and unable to tell the difference between day and night.

Soon we where walking. I don't even recall getting up or Orochimaru saying anything about us having to keep walking. All I knew was that one minute we where sitting on the beach and the next we where walking toward our goal.

_I'd been talking but I knew Sakura wasn't hearing me but I talked anyway. I talked about things that didn't really matter and I talked about the mission and I talked about how interesting her hair color was. But I knew she hadn't heard a word I'd said. She was so caught up in her own little world that if I'd proposed marriage to her then and there on the beach she would have blinked at me and ask me to repeat what I'd just said. _

_Actually it was kind of amusing when I'd catch her attention for a second or two then watch her eyes go far away as she though about something completely different to what I'd just said. I wasn't annoyed at her there was no need to be. She'd come around and go back to being her chatty self. Really I was cheerful and worried for her at the same time which made my stomach tingle._

_So many odd emotions this girl made me feel and the way she manipulated me so effortlessly made me feel slightly used but really more excited. Even now as she paid no mind to me she was making me feel and un- feel and re-feel many different things. Just the way she moved made me interested. I couldn't be bored with her around even if she was ignoring me. _

_All I could do was talk about mindless things that didn't matter. _

_All I could do was listen to the sound of the wind and of my own voice. _

_And all I could do was feel. _

* * *

**A.N: I love this chapter lots of discription! Anyways please reveiw because I love what you have to say!**


	5. The City Built on the Water

**A.N: We have a little differents going on in this chapterand sorry no Orochi POVeven though I know you all love those. But don't you all what to also know what's going on in the present?**

**Naruto POV**: _Fact_

**Sakura POV**: Fiction

* * *

The City Built on the Water

_It's my entire fault. Sakura wouldn't wake up and it is my own damn fault. I looked at her inert form sleeping there in the hospital bed. Her pink hair had been burned off and was pressed in small tight curls on the top of her head. Her arms where also completely covered in black and oozing burns that where own covered in bandages. And her face…oh highest her face had been burned on the left side. Her left eye was scrunched in a bubbling bruise and her lips had been completely burned off. But she was alive. _

_For now at lest. She'd only been in the hospital for a couple hours and even Tsunade said it was amazing she was still alive. She had third degree burns on fifty percent of her body and had been exposed to massive amounts of radiation. She should be dead; the nurses had said there was next to no brain activity. They said she had so much brain damage that she couldn't even digest food on her own. They would have to feed her from an IV…they said it like she'd be like this forever. _

_And it was my fault! I'd told her to scout ahead of the others and I'd let her go alone! _

_"I'm such a horrible friend," I said through a few tears. "I should have been there for you…I should have protected you…I'm so sorry Sakura-Chan." _

_"Naruto," said Kakashi from behind me "you should go home besides I need to talk to you…but not here." _

_I glared at my old teacher. Teacher…ha it was just as much his fault as it was mine. He'd been all of our sensei, me, Sakura, and Sasuke. This was his fault too! He didn't teach us well enough! He hadn't tried hard enough!_

_I got up slowly from the chair I'd been staying in the past four or five hours. But once I did get up she screamed. Both I and Kakashi looked at her our eyes wide. It was a low choked sound that can from that lip-less mouth. Machines that where attached to her from various tubes and wires began to beep as she yelled out that dry and raspy scream, nurses began to flood in and soon Kakashi and me where pushed out of the room. _

_I could hear the scuttle of feet behind the door and the murmuring of confused medical ninja. I looked at Kakashi my eyes wide. _

_"What's going on?" I asked and he shut his visible eye. _

_"Walk with me." He commanded and I did. _

* * *

We had made it to the tip of the peninsula. I was about a half an hour after noon and I could see an island in the distance from where we stood on the beach. The waves where calm and the now soft wind had stopped its harsh assault on us, I thought it a good time to heal out wind burns and our cut up feet.

We sat down on the sand each facing each other and I place my hands over his cut cheeks. He closed his eyes as my green glowing charka went into his flesh and began to regenerate the dead skin. I could kill him right now. I could send fragments of his face bones into his brain right at this moment if I just channeled my charka differently. He would even have time to know he was dead.

I finished healing his face and want to my feet which had been bare the entire travel.

"Thank you," the boy in front of me said rubbing his smooth powder white cheek. "It always feels nice to be healed," he said softly "it makes you feel warm afterwards.  
"I don't really notice anymore," I replied not looking up from my badly blistered feet.

"That's too bad," Orochimaru said with a slight hiss to his voice that I nearly didn't catch "it feels nice."

"Was that supposed to be seductive?" I asked with a joking smirk.

"At lest I try," he replied with a small adorable smirk. Who knew Orochimaru had been so cute? Then again I'm sure if he'd taken better care of himself the Orochimaru of present date would have been a lot more handsome. "Sorry," he said once again having his sheepishness win over him.

"Its fine I knew you where only joking," I said as I stood up on my now healed feet. "Are your feet ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine," Orochimaru said standing also and wiping the sand from the back of his kimono. "My face was really the only thing bothering me."

"Well okay let's go then," I said and he smiled but turned away from the water and walked over to a large grey speckled stone that was carved smooth from the water that would lap it when the water came in and from the harsh winds that we both knew hit the beach often. Confused I turned to see him crouching in front of the stone and carving into it with a thinner looking version of a kunai.

He was carving into the stone with the crude weapon and I watched him unable to read what he was writing because his hair was blocking my view. Finally he stood up but had his body blocking my view of what he'd written.

"I want you to promise me that one day you'd come back to this spot," he said "read what's written on the stone when I'm long dead."

He looked completely serious and I just stared at him with a blank expression. He stared right back at me waiting for my answer. His eyes where cold as he waited and there was no emotion on his face and he looked like a little glass doll. I wanted to recoil away from the eyes that burned into my flesh and soul but I did not.

"Okay…I promise," I said still wondering why it was so important that I couldn't just look at it now. His face softened a bit and he smiled making me relax. "Can we go now?" I whimpered and he nodded.

"Okay let's go then," he said and I nodded as we walked together down to the shore. The water lapped the sand gingerly and we both carefully stepped onto it's smooth surface, it was cold on my bare feet but it felt better them walking in sand which would rip into my skin after a while.

We soon got to a strong run not wanting to use all of our charka just on walking on the water, but still the island city of Venice was far off and we'd have a good four hours before we even got there.

* * *

"_Time space jutsu?" I asked still confused by Kakashi's explanation, "So your saying Sasuke's alive because he just warped away from the explosion? What does it have too do with Sakura?"_

"_Hmm," Kakashi sighed, he looked annoyed "Sakura must have been pulled into Sasuke's jutsu but not completely. Only part of her was pulled in and it wasn't the same place Sasuke had gone" _

"_Where is she then?" I asked before widening my eyes and smiling "w-we could bring her back! And she'll be okay again, right Kakashi-sensei? Right?" _

"_I don't think so Naruto," he replied and my face dropped. "Most of her charka…well lets say her soul, has been ripped out of her body and brought into another part of time, probably the past. She's in a replay of some time in history and playing a physical part in it. As we speak she's changing time without us knowing yet."_

"_Will…Will she come back?" I asked trying to understand what he was saying to me. The white haired man's visible eye narrowed slightly. _

"_Well because her body reacted that way it means that slowly her charka is moving back into her body," he said and I could tell he was smiling from behind his mask. "I'm sure she'll be back in the present by tomorrow. But that doesn't mean she'll live either."_

_He shot me down before I could even celebrate. Oh well. "I guess we'll have to wait and see," I said sadly. "Have you told Tsunade-baa sama yet?"_

"_Nope," he replied "I don't really need to tell her. The way Sakura is at the moment she may not live weather or not. If she dies that's that, if she lives she has a lot of pain ahead of her when she comes back." _

"_She was so badly burned," I murmured looking down at my feet as we walked. _

"_It's a shame," Kakashi said pulling out his Itcha Itchia Tactics book, "she was very pretty wasn't she?" _

"_She was beautiful," I corrected._

"_Hmm," he said opening up the perverted novel. _

* * *

When Orochimaru said that it would be better to not be seen by swimming through the canals and getting out within the city I had thought it was a very logical thought. But as I swam through the murky and gross water I began to want to _ahem _break the boy's skinny little neck. Thankfully it was only a ten minute swim before Orochimaru made the signal that it was safe to get out.

It was dark out and we had found a little area under a bridge to hide under. The water smelled like human waste and that was probably what was in the water too. Orochimaru didn't seem fazed by the odor at all.

"Okay no one is around," he whispered "we can climb onto the bridge."

I nodded and got to the edge and grabbed hold of the wood that made up the bridge's side and pulled myself up while Orochimaru waited for me. I swung my leg over the railing and onto the bridge. Orochimaru fallowed in suit and I smirked at him because he looked like a little wet mouse with his hair dripping and limp and his clothing clinging to his skin.

"Lets get some new clothes," I said and he nodded.

"Hopefully the map isn't ruined," he said and I laughed humorlessly. Swimming through the canal had been a _very _bad idea and I could see that my partner regretted the choice.

"After we get some clothes can we _please _go to bed?" I asked and he smirked and nodded as we walked into a market place. It was still a bit busy even at the late hour but there weren't to many people paying attention to us as we walked to a textile stand. The man at the stand eyed us both seeing that we where dripping wet.

"Our gondola tipped over and we where thrown into the canal," Orochimaru said with a hard sigh "if you don't mind we'd like some fresh clothing."

"Sure sir," the man said with a thick accent "a dress for the girl?"

"No," I said with a smile "I'd just like a shirt and pants."

The man seemed slightly startled by this but got us some clothing anyway. Orochimaru paid for the merchandise (including a pair of sandals for me) and we headed down the market street.

"We'd might as well find an inn," he said as we turned the corner of the road which was merely a strip of sidewalk beside the smelly water. We soon did find a waterside inn and went inside. It was dark but there was a woman there to greet us at the door. She was petit, probably an inch or two shorter then me, and I'm short. She had long black hair that dangled down to her lower back and dark black eyes, she looked to be in her early twenties.

"Hello, welcome," she said with a charming smile.

"Hi," Orochimaru greeted getting a weird look from the woman "Um we'd like a room for the two of us."

"Um," the woman looked at a paper she had in her hand "well all the double bed rooms are full so…"

Orochimaru looked over at me for consult. Just perfect, when I thought life couldn't get more weird I was going to_ have_ to share a bed with Orochimaru. Lovely. I looked back at his yellow eyes and shrugged indifferently. I was wet and cold and I didn't care at the moment.

"Err okay we'll take whatever you have," the boy said and the woman smiled.

"Okay fallow me," she said and we did into the main part of the inn where there where a few small dinning tables and a bar which had a few people sitting at it. Then she turned left down a hall which had many doors on each side of it. We fallowed her down to the end of the hall where she got out a key and gave it to me.

"This will be your room," she said pointing to the door that had the number nine painted crudely in black. "I hope that you enjoy your stay," she said with a slight nod before heading back down the hallway. I watched as Orochimaru sighed and unlocked the door to room number nine.

The room was small and modest with a few arm chairs, a dresser with a slightly cracked mirror, a small bathroom, and of course only one bed. The bed was only a queen size much to my distaste.

"You take the bed," Orochimaru said making me look over at him blankly "I'll sleep in one of the chairs."

"Thanks," I said quickly before heading into the bathroom. The floor was made up of light brown tiles and it had a round wooden tub which made me blink on sight of it. There was no sink and the toilet was a wooden chair with a hole in it. I was very much confused; didn't they have piping or something? "Um Orochimaru-san," I muttered "there's no um…water."

"Yeah?" he called back "I guess I'll need to order it from the owner, I'll be right back." I heard some soft foot steps before the door closed. I opened the door to the bath room and got out to lean on the outside while I waited. I knew I must have smelled bad and I was still dripping from the red and white kimono. I was happy however that we where finally here after almost three days and now I had a bed to sleep in, fresh clothing, and I could figure out how to get home.

* * *

**AN: Cliché as it is I _had _to put them in a one bed room. Where are sparks going to fly unless I add that little detail? Oh and it seems that Venice is anti-modern because they have one midevil bathroom. **

**Anyways please reveiw!**


	6. The Bitten Fruit the Last Promise

**A.N: Sorry for the wait I've been having issues thinking about plot. **

**insert disclamer here**

Sakura: Eve

Orochimaru: _Satin_

Dream: **_Reality_**

Naruto: **Revenge**

* * *

The Bitten Fruit the Last Promise

_We'd both taken our baths (it was a pain trying to get the boiled water from the kitchen because the cook could only speak the native Italian.) Sakura was dozing in the comfortable looking bed while I attempted to fall asleep in the armchair that sat near. I'd been way to shy to even come up with the words to even think that we could sleep in the same bed which I was cursing myself for now because I just couldn't find a comfortable spot on the old worn chair. Sakura being ignorant to my discomfort had fallen asleep right away. _

_I sighed pulling my legs to my chest and resting my chin on my knees watching her annoyed. I eyed the bed hungry for some sleep. _I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I told her of my discomfort…_I thought as I gingerly moved off the chair and to the unoccupied side of the bed._

_Most of the sheets had already been pulled out of the neat fashion we'd found them in thanks to Sakura's rolling and tugging through the night. So it was easy for me to get myself under the covers and finally let my spine rest into the mattress. I closed my eyes blissfully feeling much better then having to be in that horrible chair. I was just about to drift off when I felt something squish into my left side. _

_Slightly annoyed I tried to push it off with my arm but that just got my arm stuck under it. Now in panic I opened my eyes to see what had trapped my arm and to my dread I found that Sakura had crawled over, and had her head resting on my shoulder, and her body was curled slightly so she could fit better to my form. And well of course I'd gotten my arm stuck under her when I tried to blindly push her away. _

_Once my panic wore off I started to silently watch her sleep. I'm sure there must be a blush smeared over my face, but what could I do? I couldn't nudge her off in fear of her waking up, but my arm was also beginning to fall asleep from blocked circulation. Thinking I carefully pulled my arm out from under her and behind her head so I was more comfortable. Yes, I know it looks a lot like a lover's embrace, but what was I going to do? Push her off? _

_Her lips parted slightly as she nuzzled up next to me. I watched her thinking over what I should do. In the end, as I fell into sleep, I just hoped she'd roll away on her own and if not well I didn't much mind the closeness either. _

"_I'll deal with it when I wake up," I murmured under my breath as I fell asleep with a beautiful girl next to me. I mean really, who could complain? _

* * *

"_**What's going on Tsunade-sama?" asked a vaguely familiar voice. I tried to open my eyes but they where swollen shut. **_

"_**She seemed to have regained regular brain activity," said another voice. **_

_**I could hear the hustle of feet and the buzz of machinery and I could only guess that I was in a hospital for some reason. Maybe I'd gotten sick when I was swimming in the canals, I really wouldn't doubt it if that where the case, but that wouldn't explain why I couldn't open my eyes however. **_

_**That's when the pain came. It was horrible and I felt like my flesh was going to split open. I opened my mouth to scream but all I heard was a raspy cry. I whimpered and twisted trying to find any comfort, but with every movement only came more of the ripping dry pain. **_

_**I felt hands holding me down making the pain shoot me harder up and down my spine.**_

_**I screamed again but again it came out as a horse whimper as I began to tier from my wild movements. All I could feel was my breath becoming slower and slower and the dull throb of pain…**_

* * *

"Sakura," Orochimaru hissed "S-Sakura come on get off!"

I opened my eyes and blinked the tears that had formed in my eyes. I rubbed my face into the cloth that was under my cheek and clung to my warm spot. Warm spot however was squirming away for dear life, so I stubbornly held it down and threw my leg over it. The movement stopped and I buried my face in what felt like a crook of a neck.

"Uh Sakura-san," murmured a soft voice from the throat I was currently putting my face on.

"Yes?" I sniffed, tears still pouring from my eyes.

"Could you get off me?" he asked and I almost smiled but the dream had scared the humor out of me.

"No," I said snuggling closer still to him, "besides you're the one who climbed in the bed first."

"What's wrong Sakura?" he asked, I could feel him calm down under me as his muscles relaxed. I closed my eyes not sure how to answer his question. He must have known I was crying I'm sure I'd been crying in my sleep too.

"Just a bad dream," I replied as I rolled over off of him so my back was facing him. I felt very cold for some reason so I curled up in a little ball within the blankets. Orochimaru did not move beside me. He must have been puzzled or just thinking that I was some weakling for crying about some stupid dream, but it'd been so real I couldn't help myself. "God it's freezing in here," I grumbled pulling the blankets over my head.

"No, it's not," Orochimaru said as he got out of the bed. "It's the middle of summer."

"Well I'm cold," my voice said muffled by the blankets that covered me. I heard Orochimaru give an amused snort as he hopped out of the bed. I didn't move from my position, blinded from his activity. "What are you planning on doing today?"

"Going to see the futile lord," he said "he's a trader and has been sending the Leaf useful information on the hatter of a Kage that rules these lands. The lord understands that the Mizukage must be liquidated if the Water country is to survive. Venice is only this beautiful and wealthy because the lord knows how to care for his people."

I had gotten myself out from under the covers and the boy looked at me before giving a muffled laugh. I tilted my head at him. "Your hair is all static," he said making me grumble and begin to comb my hair down with my fingers. "Here anyway," he said tossing a leather bag down onto the bed. The contents of it clang together and I realized that there where weapons inside the safe looking pouch.

I took it and opened the little bag and examined the crude ninja tools, the grandfathers of the skillfully made and beautifully sleek weapons of the future I'd come from. My insides where dissatisfied by the worn prototypes but it was better then not being armed at all. After checking each blade I replaced them back into the bag and looked up to see that Orochimaru had left into the bathroom. I sighed and leaned back on the plan back board of the bed.

I'd been snuggling with Orochimaru hadn't I? The thought didn't make me quiver in disgust rather I felt my face grow hot and I knew I must have been blushing. Have I completely forgotten who he is…will be? Have I forgotten what I was to do, my own plans?

"Are you going to kill him?" I asked myself in a whisper so he couldn't hear in the other room "or fall in love with him?" I smirked at my out load thoughts, silly of me to say such things. I didn't love Orochimaru he was…a friend I suppose but I was in love with no one. I wouldn't let my heart be broken again, especially not by Orochimaru. "The fruit never falls far from the tree," I murmured knowing the truth of these words more then anyone would know.

It was true with all three of us. Sasuke, Naruto, and I have all taken major attributes from our teachers but I never had thought of how similar we all where to the Sanin till I met this boy. In reality young Orochimaru's personality parallels with Sasuke's, if it weren't for the Uchiha whip out by Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke's brother, the Uchiha youth would have probably been like Orochimaru. Smart, quiet, perhaps shy, but not as cold as Sasuke had grown up being.

And as I'd fallen into deep infatuation with Sasuke in my tenderness of youth there was no doubt in my mind that I could fall in love, real love, with Orochimaru as I became a woman.

The tips of my figures where in my mouth as the great and terrible reality came into view. But now that the truth was before my eyes these feelings could be easily avoided, yet I knew I'd never be able to kill Orochimaru, my feelings where already much too deep for me to murder him and then be able to live with myself afterward. No, it was utterly impossible.

The forbidden fruit had already been bitten long ago and there where was no going back from this. I would forever hold the evil man dear to my heart but I would never love him, I willed myself to never love him.

"Sakura-san," he said making my head snap up "are you alright?" His hair dripped wet and the water droplets ran down his neck and soaked into his half open shirt. _Gods if he wasn't so handsome._ I thought hopelessly before giving a half hearted smile and nodding.

"Yea I'm fine."

* * *

**Kakashi had bought me ramen to try to get my mind off of Sakura. Of course it worked but not for long as my thoughts began to drift back to the broken girl. If she lived how would she ever be able to be a ninja again? How could I ever go on a Sasuke hunt without her watching my back and keeping me going?**

**I didn't have the heart to see her hurt like this. It was as if I'd been blind to how much her heart burned every day missing Sasuke and it took a mad man to blow himself up to see how much Sasuke had killed her inside. Now I had another person to blame I felt a little better. The burden was now on three shoulders so the weight was now lighter then before. **

**But as the burden faded anger filled its spot. How much more must Sasuke destroy before he is satisfied that his clan has been avenged? The fault of Itachi shouldn't punish me and Sakura as well! That isn't fair! **

**As these thoughts filled my mind I realized that Sasuke may or may not come home alive the next time we fought, because this feeling that took hold of me was probably the closest to hate I've ever known. **

**Soon the fault in my mind no longer rested on Kakashi or I for that matter, Sasuke Uchiha did this. He hurt Sakura more times then I'd realized but this was unforgivable and I would no longer take his 'out for revenge' an excuse any longer. **

**I slammed my fists on the bar table making the bowl clatter and Kakashi's cup of sake to tip and spill. I was so angry I didn't even care anymore. **

"**Naruto," the Copy Ninja blinked looking over at my tense and fuming form. **

"**I don't care anymore…" I growled through clenched teeth "dead or alive Sasuke will come home. And if he comes alive he'll wish he where dead!" **

**Kakashi gave a sigh and clasp my shoulder attempting to calm me down. He tried to reason with me but I made it very clear that the next time I see Sasuke that it would be a fight to kill. He sighed again but respected my wishes before ordering another cup of sake. **

"**If she dies," I murmured "he dies painfully. I swear to that." **

* * *

**A.N: Oh I love this chapter. It's full of biblical symbolisum. You get alot of that with this pairing I came to find out. **

**Review please!**


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